


Fall of the Stars

by InnerVoice



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Fluff, Gen, I don't know what I'm doing, New Writer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-25
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-04-11 02:01:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4416788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnerVoice/pseuds/InnerVoice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fairy Tail learns of an approaching threat that may destroy the intricate balance between Earthland and the Celestial Spirit World.  Team Natsu sets out to try and resolve the problem, all while learning of the mysterious past surrounding a single girl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Lucy panted as she ran deeper into the woods. _I need to get out of here, fast._ She cursed as she tripped over a stray tree root, momentarily losing her footing. She glanced back to see if her pursuer was still behind her. _Need to reach safety..._

When she reached a small clearing, she stopped running to catch her breath. _I should have gained some distance running through the trees like that... I'll rest for a few minutes._ She sighed as she slumped down against a nearby tree, glad that her legs could take a break. As she sat there, Lucy thought of what led to her dire circumstances in the first place. She quietly cursed her very existence. If she had never been born, she wouldn't have to endure so much continuous struggle and pain. _Alone_.

Lucy's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a rustling of the shrubbery nearby. She tensed and stood up as she felt that familiar magic weigh in on the atmosphere surrounding her. She watched as an ominous figure stepped into the clearing, a malicious grin on its lips.

"I finally caught you, child of the stars." The figure stopped across the clearing, and the two merely stared at each other for a few moments. Finally, Lucy steeled herself as she rose her hand into the air, concentrating her magic.

"Gemini!" In a burst of bright light, the spirit appeared, already taking on the form of Lucy. They clasped hands, and Lucy gave the ominous being one last glare before beginning to chant. "You won't win. **Ever**."

" _Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens..."_

The sky turned dark as multicolored orbs of light began to appear.

_"All the stars, far and wide..."_

_"Show me thy appearance..."_

_"With such shine."_

The forest clearing seemed to have been replaced with an ethereal setting, as if Lucy and the figure were floating among the stars.

_"Oh Tetrabiblos..."_

_"I am the ruler of the stars..."_

_"Aspect become complete..."_

_"Open thy malevolent gate."_

_"Oh 88 Stars of the heaven..."_

Lucy opened her eyes, directing her attention to the figure that hadn't moved since she started the incantation.

_"Shine!"_

All of the bright lights that had gathered in the sky began to converge towards the figure. Lucy knew that if this attack didn't work, it would be the end of her. _Please... please just let this end._

" ** _Urano Metria!!!"_**

**_  
_**

* * *

 

 

The first thing Lucy thought of when she regained consciousness was that she was lying on some really soft grass. She groaned as she slowly opened her eyes, taking in the light of the afternoon sun. The sky was a brilliant blue, with a number of plump clouds lazily floating by. She straightened herself up to a sitting position, straining as she realized that her body was aching all over. She looked around to find that she was sitting alone in a small forest clearing. Lucy blinked a couple times. _Where am I? Why am I here? What was I doing before I got here?_

Lucy frowned, unable to recall why she was so beat up, where she exactly was, and how she got there in the first place. _Okay, calm down. My name is... Lucy Heartfilia. I... am a traveling... mage...? But... aren't I supposed to feel my power flowing through my body if I was a mage? Am I really a mage? Why can't I remember? I feel like I'm forgetting something so important..._ The blonde wracked her brain, trying to remember her past, frustrated over barely knowing anything other than her name.

After a few more fruitless minutes of thinking, she gave up, ultimately deciding to try finding a way out of the forest. She winced as she tried to stand, hissing at the pain burning through her whole body. _Seriously, what happened to leave me in a condition like this? So many questions... First, I need to find a town or something so I can figure out where I am._ She found a sizeable stick nearby to use as a makeshift cane to lean on, and started off in a random direction.

After navigating what seemed to be an endless maze of trees and bushes, Lucy finally reached what seemed to be the end of the forest. There was a road present, trailing off beyond the horizon. _Finally._ She started to follow the road, hoping that she would reach a town by the end of the day. However, a wave of fatigue suddenly hit her, causing her to stagger and almost fall over. The mage's legs failed her, and she had to lean against a tree for support. _No... I can at least... make it... to the... closest... town..._ Unconsciousness was already claiming her as she slumped down against the tree.

 

* * *

****

"Back to Magnolia we go!!!"

"Aye sir!!!" Natsu and Happy charged in front of the rest of their team, eager to get back home as soon as possible.

"Slow down a little, Flamebrain!" Gray couldn't help but scowl at how quickly the dragon slayer was moving ahead of the group.

"Let him be. This mission took longer to finish than we expected, so it's only natural to be enthusiastic about returning home." Erza smiled as she dragged along her usual cart of luggage.

"I'm excited to go home too! Aren't you, Carla?"

"It would be nice to enjoy some peace and quiet after all that's happened." Wendy and Carla were walking with Erza at the back of the group, discussing what they would do when they got back to Magnolia.

Team Natsu had just finished a mission to take out some organized bandits in a nearby town. The job took longer than expected, but the mages managed to secure a generous reward for their efforts. The afternoon sun was just beginning its descent from the sky as the group followed the road back to Magnolia.

"Oh?" Natsu stopped in his tracks when he noticed a figure on the ground up ahead. "Something's up ahead! At the edge of the road!" He ran up before any of the group could protest. As he got closer, he could see the figure more clearly. _A girl? Who would sleep there, and at this time of day?_ The girl was young, close to his own age. She had long, blonde hair that fell over her shoulders. She had a white top with a navy blue skirt, all covered by a black cloak.

As Natsu was studying the girl's appearance, the rest of the group caught up. "Dammit Natsu, at least try to wait for us," Gray complained as he caught his breath from the running.

Erza ignored the ice mage as she focused on the mysterious girl. "Who's she? What's she doing here?"

"I don't know. Maybe we should wake her up and tell her to find a place to stay? She doesn't really smell dangerous."

"Natsu-san, wait... Look at her. Something seems wrong." Erza knelt down to check on the girl.

"Wendy's right. She has a fever. Her breathing's pretty labored, too. She's sick with something. Can you heal her, Wendy?"

"I'll try." Wendy got down on the other side of the girl, focusing her magic on her hands. However, the moment Wendy touched the girl, she cried out in pain, causing Wendy to fall back, scared of hurting the girl any more. The rest of the group watched, unable to completely grasp what just happened.

Gray was first to speak. "Healing magic doesn't work on her?"

Erza frowned as she continued to stare at the unconscious girl. "It seems that her sickness is causing her body to reject magic completely. We should take her to the guild with us. No one else is nearby, and we can't leave her alone like this. Maybe Porlyusica can heal her."

"Got it." Natsu gently picked her up, noting that her body was cold and devoid of heat, leaving the blonde shivering in her uncomfortable sleep. He tried to comfort her by holding her closely to his body, smiling a little when he saw the girl's face relax a bit at the natural warmth of the dragon slayer.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! New writer here, decided to start with some weird original(?) storyline. Not really interested in relationships at the moment, but I might start adding them as the story progresses, based on how I feel. Please tell me how I'm doing, since I'm new to all of this! Hopefully, I can start writing longer chapters, but it's hard starting out ^^;
> 
> Any and all comments accepted with thanks :D
> 
> Oh, and no warnings for now since I don't even really know what's going to happen with this :3


	2. Chapter 2

Team Natsu arrived at the Fairy Tail guild hall as the sun was setting.  "We're back!  Where's Gramps?"  Natsu was still holding the blonde girl, who had stayed unconscious the whole journey.  Her condition didn't seem to worsen, which relieved the group, but she hadn't improved either.

"Welcome back!  Master's upstairs.  You can meet him now if you'd like."  Mirajane called to them from the bar, the white-haired mage smiling as she waved.

Erza nodded her thanks as she turned to address her team.  "I'll go with Natsu to take the girl to Master and see if he can help.  Wendy, Gray, would you mind fetching Porlyusica?  I know she can be a bit prickly, especially when it's getting late, but tell her it's an emergency."  Wendy and Gray nodded before turning to leave.  The Exceeds decided to follow the sky dragon slayer and the ice mage, rather than stay at the guild.

Erza followed Natsu up the stairs, watching to make sure he didn't lose his balance or the grip on the girl.  They found Master Makarov sitting on the railing of the second floor, watching the guild go about its activity below.  He turned when he noticed Erza walk up.

"Oh, Erza, Natsu!  You guys are back?  I hope the job wasn't too much of a problem.  I had better not get a bill for repairing some damage you brats caused at the town!"  The old man flashed a cheeky grin that Erza couldn't help but smile back at.

"Everything went fine.  But actually, on the way back, we found this girl on the side of the road.  She seems to be ill, but Wendy's healing magic didn't work on her.  We don't know who she is, and she was alone when we found her."  Natsu laid the girl down on a nearby table while Makarov turned to inspect her.

"...I see.  Did you call for Porlyusica?"  He looked up to see Erza nod an affirmative.  "Good.  For now, we can keep her in the infirmary downstairs.  Put her in one of the beds, Natsu."

"Got it."  Natsu picked the girl up again, bridal style, and walked her downstairs, Erza and Makarov following.

After Erza changed the girl into a clean set of robes and tucked her in the bed, she took a seat nearby to monitor her condition.  Natsu couldn't help but frown at certain features he noticed playing on the girl's face.  Her eyebrows were furrowed, indicating the strain the sickness was putting on her body.  Her cheeks were flushed, making her fever more obvious.  A couple stray drops of sweat were slowly rolling down her face as she unsteadily breathed in and out.  _Hang in there.._

Natsu's thoughts were interrupted as the infirmary door opened and Porlyusica strode in, looking less than amused at being summoned at that time of day.  Wendy and Gray followed the healer in, the former trembling slightly, and the latter hung his head a little lower than usual.  It was obvious that it took an outstanding effort to convince the old healer to come with them to the guild.  Before Natsu could even begin to feel sympathetic for the two, he caught eye contact with Porlyusica, and he instantly knew to back away from the bed.

Erza got up as well, to give the old woman some space.  The healer huffed, and immediately got to work, setting a small kit of tools to the side.  As she worked, she mumbled to herself, cursing "Makarov and his kids," and how much they "demanded such ridiculous things" of her at the worst times of the day.

Despite her quiet cursing, Porlyusica worked deftly and efficiently.  The four mages could only watch as the woman took out various potions and tonics to try getting down the girl's throat.  She also took out some diagnostic medical instruments to be able to get a better idea on the girl's condition.

After a few more minutes, the healer finally stood up, stretching a bit to loosen up her stiff back.  She turned to address the four mages that were waiting in anticipation for her announcement.  She gave a small sigh, and began to speak.

"I can't heal her.  At least, not right now."  She didn't react when she saw the shock and worry spread over the group's faces.

"What!?  But if you can't even heal her, what'll we do?  Is she just going to die!?"  Gray couldn't believe that even Fairy Tail's private healing specialist couldn't treat the girl.  However, before he could continue, the woman held up a hand.

"Let me finish before jumping to conclusions, you brat!  While it's true that I can't do much right now, the girl's life does not appear to be in danger.  Her condition has stabilized in a way that prevents her from improving or worsening.  This sickness... I've never seen its kind before.  I can give her some potions to help with the fever, and I patched up some injuries I found around her body, but there isn't much else I can do.  And you lot are all aware of the fact that magic doesn't work on her, which complicates the whole healing process."  Porlyusica picked up her things, ignoring the still-stunned faces of the other people in the room.  "I'm going now.  Watch her, and call me if she gets worse."  With those last words, the healer left the room.

Natsu sighed as he walked over to the bed.  "So what should we do?"

"Exactly what Porlyusica said.  We watch her.  We can take turns monitoring the girl's condition.  I'll go first."  Erza pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat down.  "Could you guys get me a slice of cake?  I just remembered that we haven't eaten anything since coming back."  Natsu's belly growled as he remembered that he was actually starving.  They all giggled for a moment, and Gray turned to the door.

"Come on, let's go.  We'll be sure to bring you something, Erza."

"Thanks."  After the other three mages left the room, Erza sighed and faced the blonde girl.  To her relief, the girl's fever seemed to have gone down a little bit, and her breathing seemed to have normalized as well.  _Still,_ Erza thought.  _We sure are going through quite a bit more trouble than expected for this girl.  I hope she gets better soon_.  The redhead sighed and put her head down at the foot of the bed, wanting to get a few moments of rest before Gray came back with her cake.

 

* * *

 

Before heading home, Porlyusica paid a visit to Makarov in his office.  She opened the door, and the old man looked up in slight surprise before gesturing for her to take a seat.  She sat before him, giving a brief sigh as he studied her face.

"Well?  Were you able to heal her?"

"No."

"No?"

"She's a special case."  She paused before continuing, taking Makarov's raised eyebrow as the cue.

"She's not actually that sick, to be technical about it.  Her body's mostly exhausted.  Something tells me that she used up most, if not all of her energy before they found her.  She had some bruises and scratches around her body, too."  The guild master's closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"But what about the whole thing about her rejecting Wendy's magic?"  Porlyusica's face darkened at this question.

"To be completely honest, I can't really tell.  I ran a standard diagnostic test on her, and I found very little out of the ordinary.  Her body gave no readings of magic power, suggesting that she isn't a mage.  I guess magic doesn't seem to bode well with her normal human body."  Makarov twisted his mustache, clearly not satisfied with the explanation.  Still, he thanked the healer for all that she had done, and saw her out of the guild hall.

 

* * *

 

_Lucy panted as she ran deeper into the woods. **I need to get out of here, fast**.  She cursed as she tripped over a stray tree root, momentarily losing her footing.  She glanced back to see if her pursuer was still behind her.  **Need to reach safety...**_

****

Lucy woke up with a start, breathing heavily as she tried to calm down from the rush of adrenaline coursing through her body.  _A dream...  What exactly was I doing though?_

"Oh hey, you're awake!"  Lucy shifted her gaze to see a boy smiling at her.  He was sitting at the foot of the bed, grinning so widely that Lucy was amazed his face didn't just break.  He was wearing a black waistcoat with a sleeve on his left arm, a pair of baggy white pants, a scarf of a similar shade to his pants, and sandals.  His exposed right arm sported some sort of tattoo on the shoulder.  What caught Lucy's attention the most, however, was the boy's pink hair.  The boy's smile faded as he noticed that she was just staring at him.

"Hey, you alright?" Lucy snapped out of her daze to attempt a small smile.

"Y-yes, I think I'm fine.  But... where am I exactly?  Who are you?"  The boy seemed to relax at the positive response, and his bright smile returned.

"You're at Fairy Tail, the number one magician's guild in Fiore!"  The boy proudly pointed at the guild mark on his shoulder.  "And I'm Natsu, one of its members!"  During Natsu's introduction, Lucy noticed a few more people enter the room.  First, there was a redheaded woman clad in armor, followed by a shirtless young man, and a little girl with long blue hair taking the rear.

"Oh, she finally woke up.  That's good to see."  The redhead took a seat beside Natsu and smiled at Lucy.  "Welcome to Fairy Tail.  I'm Erza."

The shirtless one walked up behind Erza.  "Yo, I'm Gray."

"And I'm Wendy!"  The little girl ran up to the other side of the bed, brightly smiling at Lucy.  Lucy smiled back, and introduced herself to the group.

"Nice to meet you all.  My name's Lucy."  Erza nodded, but wasted no time in getting to her point.

"So, are you a traveler?  Do you mind telling us how you ended up on the side of the road, sick and injured?"  Lucy looked down, shifting uncomfortably at the sudden pressure placed upon her.  Wendy, sensing Lucy's discomfort, spoke up.

"W-wait, she's still recovering!  We shouldn't push her so harshly minutes after she woke up..."  Erza backed down, apologizing.

"I'm sorry.  I don't want you to get the wrong idea, it's just that your presence and condition are both rather... strange."

"No, no!  It's fine.  I'd be happy to explain myself,"  Lucy paused before continuing.  "That is, if I could.."  She winced at the confused faces around her.

"Eh?"  Natsu asked.  "What do you mean?"

"I-I don't really know what I was doing there either.  All I remember waking up in the forest nearby, and walking for a while before I passed out on the road."  Lucy shut her eyes.  She couldn't take all of the expressions of disbelief sperading over the mages' faces.  _They'll never believe me.  They'll think I'm crazy.  What if they think I'm a spy?  I'll get kicked out right away!_

"Well then."  Lucy snapped out of her thoughts at the words.  "It seems you have a case of amnesia."  Makarov and Porlyusica walked in the door, somehow aware of the conversation that had just passed.  The master continued to talk, ignoring the still-stunned faces of everyone in the room.

"You can stay with us if you'd like, at least until you've recovered your memories."  As he spoke, Porlyusica was already doing a checkup on the blonde, examining her more closely than last time.

"Either way, you're in no condition to move around on your own.  You should stay in bed for at least another day, to finish fighting off the fever, and letting your body rest up.  These four will continue to watch you.  Let them know if you need anything."

Lucy nodded lightly.  "Thank you for your hospitality.  I'm sorry to be such a bother.  You don't even know me.  I don't even know much about myself either.  Erza shook her head as she gently smiled again.

"Fairy Tail would never leave anyone behind like that, whether that person was an ally or an enemy."  The rest of the group only nodded in agreement with the requip mage's statement.

Porlyusica stood up and turned to leave the room.  "I'm done.  She should be well enough to move around tomorrow."  She left with Makarov.

Gray stretched and turned to leave as well.  "Well, it was nice meeting you, and I'm glad to know that you're better.  But I'm starved.  I'm gonna go out for some food.  Anyone wanna tag along?"

"I do!"

"Sure."  Wendy and Erza stood up to follow Gray.

"I'll hang around, to watch Luigi."  Natsu stayed seated, oblivious to the red spreading across the blonde's face at his mispronunciation.

"It's Lucy!"

"Oh.  Whatever."  Natsu shrugged and flashed that same cheeky grin from earlier.  Lucy rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling a little bit herself.  Natsu turned back to the group of mages at the door.  "Hey, grab something for me though, would ya?  The hotter, the better!"  Erza nodded before closing the door behind her.  Natsu sighed, laying his head down to rest at the foot of the bed.

"Sorry, Lucy, but I'm a little tired.  Gonna take a nap here..."  He was snoring after a few more seconds.

 _Amazing_.  She thought.  _That was fast._   Lucy stretched and yawned, falling back to the pillow.  She was pretty tired, and decided that getting some more sleep wouldn't be that bad.

 

* * *

 

"Makarov."

"What is it?"  The old man turned to Porlyusica, who had a rather grim expression on her face.

"That girl...  I found something out in the second checkup."

"Hm?"

"I found a magic seal inside her body."  Makarov's eyes widened at the statement.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes.  The seal is cutting off her memories, and her magic.  She's a mage of some sorts, but she's been... isolated from herself."  The old man grew tense.  No one has been able to perform such magic in a long time.  Countless mages have attempted mastering such techniques, only to face extreme disappointment.

Porlyusica continued.  "The seal is also what causes her body to reject outside magic so violently.  It's a cautionary measure for the possibility that someone try to undo the seal."  Makarov sighed.  _Poor girl.  But why and how was she afflicted?_

"However, as powerful as the seal seems to be, it doesn't seem to be permanent."  The guild master's eyes brightened at the news of hope.

"When I was checking on her, the seal seemed to be fading, even if only a little.  I can't guarantee that it really will disappear on its own, so she should be monitored for some time."  Makarov solemnly nodded.

"Thank you.  You've done a huge amount for us these past couple days."  Porlyusica turned and started heading out.

"Tsk.  Just keep me out of your brats' business for a while."  The master gave a small smile as he watched the old healer walk down the road towards her home.

 

* * *

 

_Lucy felt like her lungs were about to burst.  She didn't know how long she had been running, or where she was even going, but she knew she couldn't afford to stop.  All around her was darkness.  She felt something closing in on her.  A dark laugh, from nowhere in particular, echoed throughout the shadows._

_Lucy's legs suddenly gave out, causing the girl to fall into a tumble.  Pushing herself up, she could only turn about frantically as the laughter steadily got louder._

_"I finally caught you, child of the stars."_

_No...  No...!_

 

"NO!"  Lucy screamed as she shot up, tears running wildly down her cheeks.

Natsu snapped up and got on the edge of the bed, adrenaline rushing through his veins as he tried to calm her down.

"Lucy!?  What's wrong!?"  He flinched back as the blonde began to sob, still unaware of her surroundings. 

"O-oi..."  Natsu's adrenaline rush quickly died down as he took in the scene before him.  He was a little flustered, not really knowing how to deal with the situation.  Not knowing what else to do, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in, letting her head lean on his chest.  Lucy automatically grabbed his vest for support, and continued to cry on the dragon slayer.

"Hey... You're fine.  I'm here.  We're safe.  Shh.."  Natsu continued to whisper words of comfort as he held her, waiting as her choked sobs died down.  She soon only hiccupped every now and then, and after a few more minutes, her breath had steadied again.

When she had fallen back to sleep, Natsu gently laid her head back onto the pillow, and got off the bed.  He sighed and plopped back down into his chair, exhausted from the burst of emotional stress.  _Watching her might be harder than I thought._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, I'd like to congratulate and thank you, dear reader, for making it this far at least XD
> 
> But really, it means a lot to me that my strange writing hasn't quite intimidated you enough to stop reading. While I do have a general idea of how the plot's going to play out, putting that plot into writing is proving to be a much bigger challenge than I originally thought. I also apologize for the lack of action/plot progression so far... I'm trying to get through the beginning as quickly as possible, but I was never really good at cutting out fluff/filler material...
> 
> Also, since I'm new to this writing thing, I accept any comment/critique on my writing with thanks! I'm also willing to consider requests for the story (like character interactions you'd like to see, for example).
> 
> And I know I said I'm not interested in ships, but that last scene kinda just slipped in :P I guess that's a plus for NaLu fans lol
> 
> Sorry for the long note! I sincerely thank you for reading this far, if you made it!


	3. Chapter 3

"Good morning!  How's Lucy-san doing?"  Natsu groggily opened his eyes as he heard Wendy walk into the infirmary.

"Uwah?"  Wendy couldn't help but giggle as she watched the older dragon slayer struggle to get himself in order, drool threatening to spill out of his mouth.  When she stopped giggling, however, she noticed that Natsu had dark circles under his eyes.

"Natsu-san, are you okay?  You look really tired.  Did anything happen?"  Natsu blinked a few more times before his brain finally began processing his surroundings.

"Oh, Wendy.  Lucy got up in the middle of the night and started freaking out.  I think she had a nightmare or something.  I had to stay up and watch her for a while."  Wendy was now beside the bed, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Sounds like it might've been a night terror.  Well, she looks better now.  It's my turn to watch her now, so you can go rest and grab something to eat."  Natsu got up and stretched, relieving his stiff back.

"Thanks, Wendy.  I'll see ya later."  He left the room, and Wendy took the seat vacated by the older mage.  She did a quick checkup on Lucy.  The blonde's fever seemed to have broken, and the injuries she had when she was first found were all healed.  To be completely honest, the blonde looked fine at the moment.  She looked rather peaceful, sleeping in the bed.  The only problem now appeared to be the night terrors that Natsu witnessed.  _Oh wait!_   Wendy remembered that Lucy's body rejected magic.  Even if she was a non-magic user, Wendy's healing magic shouldn't have had such a painful effect on her.  Wendy wondered if it was now safe to use her magic, now that Lucy seemed to be better.  Still, Wendy was too scared of hurting the blonde again, and backed into her chair.  She would wait until Porlyusica confirmed that it was okay to try.

The sky dragon slayer noticed Lucy shift and wake up.  The blonde sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she did so.

"Good morning, Lucy-san!  How are you feeling?"

"Good morning, Wendy.  I feel much better, thanks."

"Um, are you sure you slept well?"

"Er, yes?  Why do you ask?"

"Oh!  I-I was just wondering if you really were okay, especially after what happened last night.."  Lucy blinked a couple times.

"What happened last night?"  Wendy stared at the blonde for a couple seconds.  _So she doesn't remember a thing._

Lucy continued to press Wendy.  "Could you please tell me what happened?"  Wendy apologized for her little lapse before quickly explaining about Lucy's night terror, and how Natsu comforted her back to sleep.  Lucy flushed a bit out of embarrassment.

"O-Oh.  I don't remember that at all.  I-I'll have to thank Natsu for watching over me.  Anyways, I really do feel better now, and I'm honestly kind of itching to start moving around.  It's been a while since I've gone out, hasn't it?"  The bluenette nodded an affirmative.

"Right, it would be good to move around again.  But let me help you.  You might be a bit unsteady on your legs."  Lucy kicked off the covers and sat at the edge of the bed.  Just as Wendy feared, the instant Lucy tried to stand, her legs gave out, and she would have collapsed if Wendy hadn't caught her in time.  Wendy tucked herself under Lucy's arm to support her as a crutch.  Lucy laughed nervously as she steadied herself.

"Thanks, I guess you were right."  Wendy only smiled as she pointed to the bedside table.

"Here, we have some clothes for you to change into, and you can wash up in the bathroom next door."  Lucy thanked Wendy and they made their way around, getting Lucy ready for the day.  Lucy felt pretty bad; she was practically making a little girl carry her around.

When Lucy was satisfied with her appearance, the pair slowly made their way to the main hall of the guild.  Lucy gasped at how large the building actually was.  The main hall resembled a café, with the tables, the bar, and the stage.  There were tons of people, drinking and having fun.

While Lucy was still gaping at the grandeur of the guild hall, Natsu and Gray ran up to the pair.

"Hey, Lucy!  You're finally able to get up and move around?"

"Oi, Wendy, let us help.  You look like you're having a tough time supporting her."

"Th-thank you!"  Wendy ducked out from under Lucy's arm for Gray to replace her.  Natsu took hold of Lucy's other arm, and they walked her over to the bar, where Erza and a white-haired bartender were waiting.

"Hi Lucy!  We all heard about you, and have been worried sick!  Good to see you up and about!  Oh, and I'm Mirajane.  Nice to meet you!"  The Take-Over mage smiled in a way that Lucy couldn't help but return.

"Thanks, nice to meet you!"

"Oh, you must be hungry!  Here, I have some leftovers from breakfast.  Enjoy!"  As Lucy sat at the bar, Mira presented a plate of eggs and toast.  The blonde happily started eating, hungry from her ordeal over the last few days.

While Lucy was eating, members of the guild decided to  introduce themselves and get to know her.  By the time she was done with her small meal, she had already met Cana, Team Shadowgear, Macao, Wakaba, and Romeo, among others.  She giggled to herself as she looked at the guild members that were starting to crowd around her spot at the bar, arguing to get the blonde's attention.  These people seemed to be so much fun, each with his or her own colorful personality.  Fairy Tail really seemed to be a nice place.

"Hey, where's Loke?"  Lucy noticed some people talking among themselves.

"I think he's out on a job.  He's seems to be out doing jobs a lot more lately."

"Really?  Strange, considering this is Loke we're talking about."

"I know, right?  He's probably just flirting around town.  Too bad, he'd love to meet a beauty like Lucy here."

"Still, hasn't he been acting just a _little_ bit weird recently?  Like, something's off with him."

Fighting her rising blush at the compliment, Lucy tried to focus on the question in her mind.

"Who's Loke?"

Gray addressed Lucy while trying to shove some of the guys off the bar.  "He's another member.  Total ladies' man.  Watch out for him.  He'll do anything to woo you."  Lucy laughed at the warning. 

After another half-hour of talking, the crowd around Lucy died down.  She was then left alone at the bar with Mirajane, Natsu, Wendy, and Gray.  They sat there for a minute in silence, seemingly tired from the sudden social event that just took place.

"I'm back!"  The front doors of the guild swung open, and the group turned to see who was entering.  Lucy saw a young man with orange hair and tinted shades walk in.  Lucy had to admit, he looked rather attractive.

Gray stood up and called to the man.  "Yo!  Loke!  What's up?  How'd your job go?"

"Hey.  It went well, nothing too hard.  I'm just glad to finally have some time to rest."

"You've been going on more jobs recently.  Why's that?"

"Heh, I guess I just felt like doing more work recently."

"Sure, whatever.  Anyways, come here.  We've got a new friend here."  Gray stood up from the barstool and Lucy did the same.  Loke began walking over, but stopped the instant he fully processed Lucy's appearance.  His eyes widened in shock as he began to stare at the blonde.

Lucy shifted uncomfortably under his intense gaze.  Nevertheless, she put on a bright smile and introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Lucy.  Nice to meet you!"  Loke didn't move, but whispered something so quietly that only the dragon slayers present could hear.

"You..."

"Eh?  You already know her from somewhere?" Natsu scrunched his face in confusion.

Gray smirked.  "Maybe Lucy's already been a victim of Loke's flirtatious ways."

Lucy blinked.  "Have I met you before?  I'm sory, but I'm having some trouble remembering things right now.."

"N-no!  It's nothing!"  Loke quickly recovered from his trance, and genuinely smiled at Lucy.  "Hi, it's nice to meet you."  Loke shifted around a bit more before turning to leave.  "Sorry, but I  have to go.  Just remembered something.  See you guys later!"

Everyone at the bar just looked on in the direction the mage took off in.

"That was weird."

"Whatever.  I'm bored.  Let's go out for a job!  Where's Happy?"  Natsu got up to find his Exceed companion before heading over to the request board.

"I guess I'll go too.  Where'd Erza run off to?  She'll probably want to tag along.  See you later, Lucy."

"I should get Carla, too.  Bye, Lucy-san!"  Gray and Wendy got up to follow Natsu.

"See you guys later!"  Lucy waved at them before getting back to her seat and turning to face Mirajane.  The bartender leaned forward, interest gleaming in her eyes.

"So, Lucy.  What are you going to do?"

"Pardon?"

"I mean, now that you're getting better, do you have any plans?"  Lucy leaned on an elbow as she thought.  She really didn't have any plans for the near future.  She still didn't know who she really was or where she was from, but she couldn't afford to just sit around doing nothing.

"How about you stay with us for a while?"  Lucy's looked up, surprise evident on her face.  Mirajane only smiled as she elaborated.

"You can work here until everything sorts itself out.  I heard that you don't have access to any magic, but you're more than welcome to help out in the guild hall!"

"Could I really?"

"Sure!  You can help me out with the bar.  Master already said you could stay, didn't he?  Mirajane took out a large stamp from under the counter.  " Here!  This is to give you your very own guild mark!  With this, you'll officially be a member of our family!  Where do you want it?"  Lucy brightened at the thought of being a part of this large family she already liked so much.

"Here, please!"  Lucy held up her right hand, and the white-haired mage pressed the stamp on her hand.  With a pop, the stamp was removed, and a pink Fairy Tail logo appeared.  Lucy's smile widened as she softly touched her new mark.  For the first time since waking up in that forest, she felt a sense of belonging.  Even though she had just met everyone, she noticed that they were almost too easy to befriend, almost as if she had known them already.  Even when she saw some of the quirks of the members (like Cana chugging down a barrel of beer, or Gray randomly stripping, or Natsu devouring a plate of food **on fire** ), she wasn't as surprised as she thought she should have been.  For some reason, Lucy felt as if she had finally _returned_ home.  Everything just seemed so.. familiar.

Mirajane giggled as she watched Lucy get lost in her thoughts.  "We're glad to have you too, but aren't you a little _too_ excited?"  Lucy shook her head a few times and tried to stand up.  She had to brace herself against the bar counter at first, but after a couple more minutes, she was able to stand on her own.  The blonde figured that the meal helped her body regain some of its strength.  After pacing back and forth a bit to make sure she could walk, she turned to Mira for instructions.

"So, what can I do to help out?"

"You can serve food and drinks here for a while.  I can go to the tables to tend to the people there, and you can get the ones that walk up.  Think you can mix some drinks?  Can you cook?  There's also a kitchen in the back."  Lucy nodded and made her way next to the Take-Over mage.  As it turns out, Lucy was a pretty good cook and bartender.  After demonstrating her ability to make several drinks and dishes, Lucy satisfied Mirajane enough to be left alone with customers. 

 

After working the bar for a couple hours, Lucy went into the kitchen to start preparing food for lunch.  The kitchen was large, and the appliances were all high-quality.  Lucy was going through the fridge for ingredients when a sudden chill made her straighten up and look around.

She saw some dark blobs start to emerge from the walls of the kitchen.  The dark blobs slowly took humanoid forms as they dropped to the floor.  Lucy gasped and pressed her back to the wall.

"H-hello!?  Is anyone there!?  Help!!"  Lucy's cries were unheard in the main hall; it was too loud for anyone to hear sounds coming from the kitchen.  Someone might have been able to hear if they were nearby at the bar, but the bar was vacant.

Lucy could only watch as the blobs continued to take form before her.  Whatever these things were, they were unlike anything else on Earthland.  Their black bodies were somewhat transparent, and seemed to be _shimmering_.  It was as if glitter was thrown all over the creatures.  They made no noise as they formed around her.  Lucy counted that six creatures formed in the kitchen.

She knew that time was running out, and her options were severely limited.  The door was blocked off, and she couldn't fight.  There were a couple windows that she might be able to jump out of, but she would have to risk passing a couple of the creatures, and she wasn't that fast in her current physical state.

Lucy noticed a flash of light in the corner of her eye.  When she turned to see the source, the light was so bright that she had to cover her eyes with an arm.  As she closed her eyes, she could hear a few steps and grunts as someone bounded across the room.  She stayed frozen for a while until all movement in the room stopped.

"Are you okay?"  Lucy opened her eyes to see that Loke was standing in front of her, a ring on his finger softly glowing with a yellow light.  He was a little out of breath, but otherwise unscathed.  When she looked around, the creatures had all disappeared, leaving a small cloud of glittering light in the kitchen.

"Y-yes.  Thank you for saving me.."  Lucy blushed a bit as she looked down.  Loke softly smiled.

"Any time, for you.  Be more careful next time, though."

"Lucy, are you all right!?  I saw a bright flash of light from the kitchen and- Loke?  What are you doing here?  What's all this residue around the kitchen?"  Mirajane rushed in, confused and frantic.  Lucy turned to the white-haired mage and tried her best to explain what happened.

"I'm fine!  It's just.. some weird blob-creature things showed up, but Loke came and took them out before they could do anything."  The explanation did not help ease Mira's worries.

"WHAT!?  Oh my gosh Lucy I'm so sorry!  I should've been here with you!"  She tackled Lucy and hugged her while sobbing on her shoulder.

"I-I'm really fine, nothing happened!  Nothing to worry about.."

"What do we have here?"  Makarov walked in, slightly shocked at the bewildering scene before him.  "I saw the light, and... someone care to explain?"  Mirajane pulled herself away from Lucy, and the latter sighed before retelling the events that transpired only minutes before.

The guild master thoughtfully stroked his beard.  "Hmm...  It's fortunate Loke came to save you.  But why you of all people, Loke?  I thought you went back out to town.  I'm surprised you managed to come save her when the other members just outside failed to."  Loke stammered and looked away.

"I-it's just.. I had a weird feeling, I guess.  I sort of sensed the things spawning in nearby, and I rushed over to help."  Loke shifted uncomfortably under the master's hard stare.  He knew that Makarov wasn't satisfied with that answer, but fortunately, he pressed no further.

"Ahem.  Very well then.  That was a strange occurrence, but everything seems okay now.  Be more careful in the future, though.  All of you."

"Yes, Master!"  Makarov left the kitchen, going back to the main hall.

"I guess I'll go too."  Loke turned to leave.

"Um, thanks again for saving me!"  He turned to Lucy and smiled again.

"I told you, I'll be here any time you need me."  And with that, he left.

Lucy softly laughed as she looked at his retreating figure.  _Flirt_.

 

* * *

 

Outside, Loke was about to leave the guild again when Makarov called from the other side of the room.

"Loke, to my office, please."  Loke awkwardly scratched his head before following the master.  He had a good idea of where this is going.  When they took their seats in the office, Makarov cleared his throat and looked at Loke with strong intent.

"I believe you know why I called you here."

"I have a vague idea, yeah."  The old man sighed before continuing.

"You have some sort of affiliation with Lucy, don't you?  You know something about what's going on with her."  Loke shrugged his shoulders and gave a knowing smile.

"You could say I know a thing or two.  To be honest, I have a pretty interesting story to tell you, but I'm not sure if you'll buy it."  Makarov settled in more comfortably in his chair, his facial features softening.

"Try me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again! This is going to be a pretty long note, so I apologize in advance!
> 
> First off, thanks for your continued support/reading this! This is becoming a bit more of an adventure than I initially thought, and I thank you for keeping up! And if you're reading for the first time, I hope you find it enjoyable enough to come back!


	4. Chapter 4

It was the middle of the night.  A man was standing alone at the edge of a cliff.  He was looking up towards the sky, observing the stars.  Though the stars shone brightly, it was still too dark to make out any distinct features on his face.  He stargazed in silence, a gentle breeze brushing through his hair.  Another person walked up behind him, hidden by the darkness.

"You're late," the man said, still staring at the sky.

"I wanted to attack her one more time, while she was weak.  The guild managed to protect her, though."

"It doesn't matter.  The seal alone is more than enough for us to be able to move on with our plans.  Don't you see it?"  His partner walked up beside him, and looked up as well.

"Don't you see it?"  he repeated.  "The stars... they are starting to fade.  It's already working."  The man chuckled as he thought to himself.  _Now that you have been taken care of, Lucy Heartfilia, we just have to find **him**_.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Mirajane followed Lucy everywhere.  When Lucy tended the bar, Mira was there too.  When Lucy was talking to Levy about a book at one of the tables, Mira joined in on the conversation.  When Lucy went out for a walk, Mira accompanied her.  The Take-Over mage felt that Lucy's moment in danger was all her fault, and she was determined to keep Lucy safe.

Lucy, on the other hand, held nothing against Mira.  She tried to tell the older girl that she would be fine on her own, and that she'd be more careful, but Mira wouldn't hear it.

When Team Natsu returned from their job, they strongly agreed that Lucy needed to be guarded at all times.  Since they got back, Lucy always had at least one member of the team with her.  Natsu and Erza tended to stay  with her the most.  Natsu liked having her company, and Erza insisted that there were times when only a woman could be with Lucy.

Lucy was initially uncomfortable with all the attention, and felt like a burden to the team, but everyone claimed that they were more than happy to hang out with her.  So, she just accepted the constant presence of the mages.

Over the next couple days, she learned just how much fun the guild and its members could be.  There was at least one guild-wide brawl a day, usually initiated by Natsu or Gray and stopped by Erza or the Master.  Through these fights, the blonde learned just how terrifying the Requip mage could be, and made a mental note never to get on her bad side.

Lucy also moved into Fairy Hills, the girls' dorm for the guild.  Erza offered to share one of her five rooms with Lucy for the time being.  Lucy set up her room modestly, with a bed, a desk, and a dresser.  She was still unsure of how long she would be staying with Fairy Tail, so she didn't want to commit too much to her decor.  Still, she was happy to have a place to stay, and with so many other people at that.  She also found herself completely cured of her fever and injuries after a couple days.  Her memory loss seemed to be the only ailment that continued to plague her.

At night, however, Lucy continued to have strange dreams.  One dream in particular seemed to.. speak to her.  It was during her fourth night in Fairy Hills.  There was no image to go with her dream; she was just in a void of black, speaking with the voice of her subconscious.

_"Lucy."_

_"Yes?"_

_"You might feel a bit lost right now, but that's fine."  Lucy furrowed her brow._

_"How so?"_

_"You were meant to end up with Fairy Tail.  Don't you feel it?  That familiar sense of family."_

_"..I do.  I just joined, but I already love it here." Lucy noticed that the strange feeling of familiarity was present here as well.  Even in this empty void of a dream, she felt safe.  The voice continued._

_"Everything that has happened to you so far is tied to the prophecy of the stars.  Do not falter.  No matter how bleak the circumstances, you must press on, for what you believe in.  And remember, love, you are not alone."  Lucy felt the voice's presence start to fade, and she desperately reached out._

_"Wait!  Who are you?  Why are you telling me this?"  The presence grew weaker, but Lucy felt a lingering warmth in the air._

_"That's for another time.  I promise."_   _With that, the presence faded completely, and Lucy felt herself being slowly pulled back into the real world._

 

"Good morning, Lucy."  Erza was already up and fully dressed to go out.  Lucy stretched as she got out of bed, and stifled a yawn.

"Good morning, Erza.  You're up early."

"Yes, well, I like to make the most of each day.  I also agreed to meet Natsu and the others in a couple hours to go out on a job.  We decided yesterday on a job that involved finding a lost family heirloom somewhere in the town.  It's a relatively easy task, but we wanted some fast cash."

"Sounds like fun!"

"Really?  Would you like to join us, then?"  Lucy blinked the last of her drowsiness away.

"Could I?"  Erza put a hand to her chin to think for a brief moment before nodding with a smile.

"I don't think anyone would have any objections to you coming.  It's not a dangerous job by any means, and you would have the whole team to watch you.  And, you'd be able to go on something of a small adventure around the town.  It would be a great chance to tour around and meet some locals.  It's a win-win situation, the way I see it."  Lucy's eyes brightened and she jumped out of bed.

"I'll get ready right now!"  Erza chuckled as she watched Lucy run towards the showers.  She decided to go downstairs and find some breakfast for Lucy.

After their morning preparations were done, Lucy and Erza walked together to the guild hall.  The rest of the team was already there, and they were sitting together at a table.  The two ladies took seats at the table, and everyone exchanged greetings.

"Is it okay if Lucy tags along for today's job?  I thought it over, and I think that it would be fine for her to accompany us, since today's task is pretty simple." 

"Sure you can come.  You seem like you got smarts, and would actually be helpful in looking for a lost object, unlike Flamebrain here.

"What'd you say!?"  Natsu stepped out of his chair, and butted heads with Gray.

"You wanna go!?"

"Like you could ever beat me, Ice Princess!"

"Oh yeah!?"

"Both of you, stop."  Erza shoved them apart and gave them both a death glare.  The two mages sat back down, scowling.  Lucy and Wendy nervously laughed.  Erza, satisfied for the time being, sat back down.

"Anyways, we should go.  The client last remembers seeing their item at the park, so let's start there."  Everyone nodded in agreement, and they set off in the direction of the park.

The job took less time than expected.  Lucy managed to spot the trinket hanging from a tree branch, probably carried there by a bird.  They all went to turn in the item for their reward, and decided to spend their extra time going around town.

Lucy took her time seeing what Magnolia had to offer.  She ate local food, met local people, and visited iconic sites.  She enjoyed being able to learn more about where she was, and having great friends around only enhanced the experience.

The most exciting part for her, however, was shopping.  Since arriving at Fairy Tail, the blonde had virtually nothing of her own, clothes or otherwise.  For a while, Erza had graciously lent some of her outfits to Lucy.  However, she felt that she should at least have some clothes of her own.  Fortunately for her, the team gave her a portion of the earlier job's reward, which turned out to be enough to buy a few outfits at the stores.  She went through the stores, and with some help from Erza and Wendy, managed to find a number of cute outfits that met her budget.

After Lucy's shopping spree, the group decided to have dinner at a nearby restaurant before going home.  At the dorm, Lucy and Erza spent some time talking as they sorted out the former's new clothes and got ready for bed. 

"So, Lucy.  How was your day?  Did you enjoy coming along with us?"

"Oh, yes!  The job itself wasn't that bad, and it was so much fun being able to explore Magnolia with everyone!  And I'm glad to have some things of my own to wear!  Today worked out perfectly!"  Erza could only smile at the euphoria the blonde was still feeling.

"Maybe you'd like to join us on some more jobs in the future, then?"

"Yes!  It's pretty fun being with you guys, so I'm actually pretty excited!  But... I can't use any magic, so I don't know if I would be much help.."  The Requip mage shook her head and smiled.

"Nonsense.  You were a great help on today's job.  Even if you can't fight, there are so many other things you can do.  Just like today's job, there are many jobs that involve little to no combat.  You'll be fine."  Lucy's eyes brightened at the statement.

With that, Lucy began to regularly accompany Team Natsu on jobs.  Just as Erza said, she proved to be very useful, even without magic.  On one particular job, when the team had to find some herbs in a forest, Lucy proved to be a skilled navigator.  She was good enough at following a map during the day, and at night, she had extensive knowledge of the stars, and was able to use them to get her bearings.  When the team started taking more difficult jobs like taking down bandit groups around town, Lucy stayed back and provided first aid.  As it turned out, Lucy was far from useless to the team.

After another couple of weeks of jobs, Natsu decided he wanted to tackle a more challenging job.  He was getting bored of the lack of action he'd been facing recently.  Erza objected for Lucy's sake, but the blonde said that she wanted to go on a harder job too, even if it did prove to be dangerous.  After a good half hour of debating, Erza gave in.  They ultimately decided on a job to eradicate a dark guild that was starting to form in the outskirts of Magnolia.  Because it was relatively new, they figured that it wouldn't be that organized or dangerous.

When they got close to the dark guild hall, they hid as Erza came up with a plan. The building was rather plain, and was covered in vines to blend in with the surrounding foliage.  After a few minutes of checking out the structure, Erza turned to the group and explained her plan.

"Okay.  It seems that there are multiple entrances.  We should split into teams to take each entrance.  Wendy, Natsu, take the north entrance.  Gray, Lucy, take the east entrance.  I'll take the main entrance at the south.  Happy, Carla, you will fly over us and scout out the guild.  Report anything you find.  Hopefully, I can be enough of a distraction to bring most of the members to myself."  Lucy nodded with the rest of the group.  From her observations of the team on their previous jobs, Lucy knew that Erza could easily handle a whole mob of mages on her own.  In fact, she trusted the strength of everyone there.  Though she hadn't seen much of the power of the rest of the guild members, she was as confident as Mirajane that this was Fairy Tail's strongest team.

After Erza's briefing, everyone split up.  Lucy followed Gray to the east entrance.  They waited a few minutes in the bushes nearby, and they heard an explosion coming from the south end of the building.  They grinned, knowing that Erza was already doing her part.  A small group of  mages burst out of the door before them, figuring that the Requip mage was not alone.  Gray jumped out of the bushes and proceeded to quickly take care of the group of mages.  They proved to be pushovers, and went down without the ice mage even having to use his magic that much.  Lucy emerged from her hiding spot as Gray dusted off his hands.

"Not much of a fight."

"True, they're weaker than we thought.  The others should have no problem, then."  Gray nodded and walked to the door.  He pushed it open, and the pair walked inside.

It was eerily quiet.  Gray could hear Erza and the others fighting outside, but the inside of the building seemed to be empty.  They were in a big, but sparsely decorated room.  There were a few crates around the perimeter of the room, but the center of the room was clear. He knew that something was off.

Before he could react, however, multiple large lacrima emerged from the ground, activating a magic-draining trap.  Gray growled in pain as he felt all of his power leave his body.  Lucy also felt the pain as she was trapped in the room with him.  She saw the magic leaving the ice mage, but couldn't do anything as she felt her own body shaking.  _Why?_   She thought.  _Why am I affected?  I don't have magic..._ She gasped as she saw dark tendrils of energy seep out of her skin.  It was burning everywhere, and she screamed at the pain.

A few minutes later, they were both completely drained, and the lacrima deactivated.  A door on the far side of the room opened, and a group of mages filed into the room, smirking at the pair.

"Game over, fairies!  Say your goodbyes!"  They started to close in towards Gray to finish him off.  Lucy panicked inside, but she couldn't move, not in her current state.  _No... Not him... NO!_   She screamed again, but this time in determination.

Gray couldn't believe his eyes as he turned to Lucy.  She was wrapped in golden light, and it soon flooded the room.  He heard grunts around him, and he turned again to see the mages being taken down.  Fighting them were two figures:  what seemed to be a _goat_ wearing a suit, and an all-too familiar looking human wearing tinted glasses.  The new pair made quick work of the dark guild's mages.  The man in glasses gave Gray an apologetic look before silently disappearing with the goat in a flash of golden light.  Gray wanted to check on Lucy, but he was too confused and too tired.  He merely leaned his head back on the ground and let unconsciousness take him under.  _What.  The.  Fuck._

Natsu, Erza, and Wendy were rushing towards the east entrance.  They all made quick work of the mages at their sides, and met up in the middle of the guild.  They noted that Lucy and Gray were absent, and feared the worst when they heard Lucy scream.  When they got to the missing pair, they were mortified.  Gray was lying on the floor, looking beat up and unconscious, and Lucy was on her knees, gasping for breath.

Wendy immediately ran to Gray, who seemed to need more attention, and Natsu ran to Lucy, catching her just as she started to slump forward.  She leaned into his embrace, no longer having the energy to support herself.  Still trying to steady her breath, she could only whisper to the dragon slayer.

"Gray.."

"Wendy's healing him right now.  He'll be fine."

"Thank goodness..."

"Shh..  Don't talk.  Save your energy."  Lucy pulled away from him and barely managed a smile as fatigue started to completely take over.

"Natsu... I-"  Her eyes closed as the last of her consciousness faded.

"Lucy!?  Hang in there!"  Natsu frantically tried to keep Lucy awake, but she slipped into the same state as Gray, and could only say her last words in her head.

_I remember._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again! As usual, thanks for all the support! This chapter was honestly hard to write, and I'm still not 100% satisfied with it, but I uploaded it anyways on the basis of a few reasons. One, I didn't want to update late. Two, I'm considering this to be the last "beginning" chapter, and I rushed it a bit to be able to get the plot going. Hopefully you're okay with that!
> 
> I've been getting a little busier lately, so I can't guarantee a normal update next week. There are two possibilities: I will have an update by Thursday as scheduled (but the chapter might be shorter), or I'll have to update late. Thursday's honestly a bit of an awkward update day for me, so I might end up changing it anyways. But either way, I'll try to update ASAP!


	5. Chapter 5

When they were sure that the dark guild had been taken care of, Natsu and Erza went back to where Wendy was watching over Gray and Lucy.  The sky dragon slayer had been using her magic to stabilize the two, and was exhausted by the time they got ready to head back to town.  Erza picked up Lucy, and Natsu picked up Gray, and they started to walk.

"Sorry to make you work so hard, Wendy.  Are you sure you can walk?"

"I'm fine!  You shouldn't worry about me."  Erza nodded and they walked at a brisk pace back to the guild hall.

They managed to get back to Fairy Tail by sundown.  Lucy and Gray were both placed in the infirmary, and Porlyusica was summoned once again to treat the pair.  Makarov came into the infirmary as well, and got a report of what happened from Natsu, Erza, and Wendy.  However, the trio had little to say, because they weren't present when the fight happened.  All they knew was that Lucy and Gray were beat up by the time they got there.  The old healer worked silently as she ran her diagnostics and gathered the required potions.  When she was done, she addressed Makarov and the rest of Team Natsu.

"Gray suffered from magic deficiency, but thanks to Wendy's magic, he's recovered pretty quickly.  He's just exhausted now.  He should be up soon."  Makarov nodded, but his eyes darkened.  He was anticipating what the woman would have to say about Lucy.

"About Lucy.  As far as I can tell, she seems to be fine.  Just suffering from some exhaustion, like Gray."

"Wait, really?  What happened then?"  Erza turned as she heard groaning from the far side of the room.  She rushed to Gray's side as he woke up.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think.  Just really tired."  The group gathered around his bed, relieved that he was fine.  However, curiosity filled the air after a brief moment.  Makarov cleared his throat.

"So, Gray.  Could you tell us what happened with you and Lucy earlier?"  Gray thought in silence for a minute, before straightening himself up a bit in the bed.

"We got in through the door pretty easily, but it there was a trap in the room.  Drained the magic out of me.  Seemed to affect Lucy, too.  Dunno why, I thought she didn't have magic.  But right when those dark guild bastards came in the room, Lucy's body glowed in freakish light, and she zoned out.  This goat and some other guy came and beat up all the bastards.  Then I blacked out."  Gray shrugged as he finished.  Natsu, Erza, and Wendy were all shocked at the story, but Makarov and Porlyusica closed their eyes and nodded slightly, as if they knew something.

"Just as I thought."  Natsu raised an eyebrow at the old woman.

"You knew of this?"  Erza asked.  Porlyusica nodded again, and looked at the rest of the group.

"When I checked on the girl when you first brought her, I found a magic seal inside of her.  It inhibited both her memories and her ability to use magic.  That seal was also why Wendy couldn't heal her.  It was designed to reject any and all magic used on it.  However, it seems that this magic-draining trap managed to suck the seal out of Lucy.  Her powers were thus reawakened, and she saved them both."  Makarov silently nodded, already aware of everything the healer just said.  Erza held a hand to her chin as she thought.

"Then... her memories must have returned as well?"

"Probably.  However, it seems that the sudden changes in her body exhausted her for the time being.  We'll have to wait until she wakes up to be sure.  So for now, everyone leave!  No more disturbing the patients!  Gray, you still need to rest for the night!  Go to sleep!"  Porlyusica barked at the ice mage before chasing everyone out of the infirmary.

Gray smiled at the sight of the healer shoving everyone out, but obediently settled back into his bed.  However, he couldn't bring himself to sleep right away.  He spent some time thinking about what he had seen just hours earlier.  _Who is Lucy, exactly?  What are her powers?  And who were those two?  That goat and... that guy... I swear, he looked like... Loke?  What is going on?_   He shifted in his bed a bit to look at the sleeping blonde in the next bed over.  For the most part, she looked like she was sleeping peacefully.  However, she grimaced every now and then.  _Must be having some rough dreams._   Gray sighed and got himself more comfortable to sleep.  He knew that when Lucy woke up, all would be revealed.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Gray woke up and looked around.  Lucy was still asleep, and other than the two of them, the room was empty.  Feeling rather refreshed, he got up and went to the nearby washroom.  When he left, he noticed Wendy running down the hall.  She stopped in front of Gray, and caught her breath after a brief moment.

"Good morning!  Sorry for not being there when you woke up, but I wanted to say bye to Carla.  She's going out with Happy and Lily to meet the other Exceeds.  They said that the trip would take a while, so we wanted to say our goodbyes.  I was coming back to check on you!"  Gray stretched his back.

"I'm fine.  I'm just going out for some food.  Lucy's still asleep though."

"Oh.  Well, Mira-san's already got some food ready, so you can go see her.  I'll stay behind to watch Lucy for a bit."  Gray nodded and walked out to the bar.  He ate for a while in silence, before Natsu and Erza joined him at the table.  They made some small talk, but Wendy called to them after a short amount of time.

"Guys!  Lucy's awake!  She wants to see you and Master!"  They all immediately got up, and after informing Makarov, the group made their way into the infirmary.

Lucy was sitting in her bed, an unreadable expression on her face.  That worried everyone as they filed in the room.  When she noticed them approaching, however, she twisted her mouth into a smile.

"Morning, guys."

"Morning.  How you feeling?"  The room had a certain tension to it.  Everyone wanted to know what Lucy would say.

"I feel fine.  Great, actually.  And.. you all probably know why I wanted to see you.  There's a lot to say, so you might want to get comfortable."  Everyone nodded and sat in either a chair or on Gray's nearby bed.  Lucy cleared her throat and began speaking.

"First of all, let me introduce myself again.  I am Lucy Heartfilia, the Celestial Envoy."  Everyone stared at her in confusion.  She shifted a bit uncomfortably under their gazes.

"The Celestial Anvil?  What's that?"  Natsu scratched his head in confusion.

" _Envoy_ , not anvil, you dolt."  Gray slapped him behind the head, and Natsu glared back, but didn't retaliate further.  Lucy lightly laughed.

"I'm here on behalf of the Celestial Spirit King to monitor Earthland's condition."  Makarov leaned forward.

"This brings up many questions.  This means you are from the Celestial Spirit World, correct?  Are you a Celestial Spirit, then?"  Lucy shook her head.

"No, I'm actually just a human, like you all.  It's a bit of a complicated story.  It's pretty much that when I was young, I was orphaned, and taken in by the Celestial Spirit King.  During my time in the Celestial Spirit World, I learned my magic, and became friends with the spirits.  I now spend an equal amount of time in both worlds."

"Could you elaborate on your power?"  Gray spoke up this time.

"When we got attacked back there, I noticed two other guys save us.  And one of them looked... familiar."  Ignoring the confused looks of the others, Lucy nodded.

"You weren't mistaken."  She held up her hand, and golden light faintly shrouded her palm.  "Loke."  In a chime and a flash of light, a young man wearing tinted glasses materialized next to the bed, near Lucy.  Everyone in the room gasped, and Loke gave a sheepish smile.

"Hey guys."  Everyone's jaws dropped as the truth dawned on them.  Makarov, however, remained silent.

"You're a Celestial Spirit!?  But you've been posing as a mage of Fairy Tail for so long!"  Natsu grabbed Loke's shoulders and stared into the other's eyes.

"Uh, yeah.  About that."  Loke was obviously uncomfortable explaining himself, so Lucy took over.

"He's always liked hanging out in Earthland.  He actually had an owner, a Celestial Spirit Mage, but an accident happened.  He was banned from coming back home for a while, but I managed to convince the king to let him back.  He must've stayed with you guys for that time.  Oh, and he's been 'absent' a lot more recently because he's been helping me out."  Makarov closed his eyes in thought.  He nodded to himself as he remembered the conversation he had with Loke back then.

_Makarov settled in more comfortably in his chair, his facial features softening._

_"Try me." Loke nodded, and after a moment of silence, he began._

_"First of all, I'm a Celestial Spirit.  Y'know, those star spirits from the Celestial Spirit World?  Yeah, I'm Leo, leader of the 12 Zodiac Gates."  The master's eyes widened._

_"Fascinating.  But, why are you here then?  And what does this have to do with Lucy?"  Loke shrugged at first._

_"I just like hanging out here with you guys.  It's fun.  And Lucy's a friend.  She's from the Celestial Spirit World too."_

_"So she's a spirit, too?"_

_"Well... no.  Her past's a bit complicated."_ Makarov's flashback was interrupted when Erza asked Lucy a question.

"But is it not dangerous for a spirit to stay in Earthland for too long?"

"Well, yes, but Loke is Leo the Lion, leader of the 12 Zodiac Gates.  He's tough enough."

"Heh, sorry for hiding it for so long.  And I'm glad you got your memories back.  We all are.  But.. can you do the rest of the explaining?  I've got some stuff to do."

"Sure.  I'm going back soon, too.  See you soon!"  Loke nodded and disappeared in another flash of light.  She turned back to face the rest of the mages in the room, and processed their still-stunned faces.  Makarov, however proceeded to question Lucy.

"So you're a Celestial Spirit Mage?  Your powers are a bit different though, yes?"  The blonde nodded in response.

"My powers are similar, but unlike most Spirit Mages, I don't need keys to summon spirits.  My connection with the spirits is a bit more... direct.  So I don't have to obey the contract system.  I can also open a gate to allow myself to and from the Celestial Spirit World.  I can also fight by using my magic to enhance my strength, but I mostly rely on summoning."  The master nodded at this.

"And could you elaborate more on this mission the Celestial Spirit King sent you on?"  Lucy's eyes darkened.

"In the Celestial Spirit World, we noticed that the amount of magic has been decreasing.  In terms of Earthland time, I'd say that this has been going on over the last year.  I've come to Earthland to investigate and see if any noticeable changes have taken place here.  I've got some leads on what's going on actually, and I'll have to go to the Celestial Spirit World to talk about it with the king."  Natsu jumped out of his seat.

"Great!  When do we go?"  Lucy blinked.

"W-what?"

"I wanna help out!"  Lucy lightly laughed.

"Thanks, but it's fine.  There are a lot of technicalities with gaining entrance to the Celestial Spirit World.  And there's no fighting involved, so I'll be fine on my own."  Natsu pouted, but sat back in his chair.

"Actually, I should probably go later today.  A lot has happened, and I need to keep everyone up to date.  But first, I'd like to eat something.  I'm hungry!"  Everyone nodded, a few chuckles here and there.  The group filed out, and Lucy got a plate of food from Mira.  Over breakfast, however, Makarov continued his little interview.

"Lucy, one more thing, before you leave."

"Yes?"

"Do you remember who sealed your memories and your magic in the first place?"

"Oh.. It was a woman.  I honestly don't know that much about her.  She just suddenly attacked me when I was traveling in the area.  I got knocked out, I think, and she managed to seal me then.  I haven't seen her since, though.  But I imagine that those things that attacked me in the kitchen a while back were from her."  The old man looked grim, but nodded and left Lucy alone after that.

After Lucy finished eating, she went outside to have a little space to move.  There, she met her teammates and a number of other guild members that game to see her off.  She smiled and fought back her sadness at leaving.

"Well, I'm off now.  I'll be back sooner or later, I promise."  She exchanged hugs with some members, including Erza, Wendy, and Mirajane.  Natsu and Gray only nodded at her, smiling.

"We'll miss you, that's for sure."  Makarov walked up to her.

"Remember, you always have a home to return to at Fairy Tail."  Lucy nodded vigorously, and turned before anyone could see the tears threatening to well up in her eyes.  She spent a total of less than a month here, but she had grown so fond of everyone.  She steeled her resolve, mentally stating that she had more important things to worry about, and that she would be back before she knew it.

She sighed and held her hands up.  She concentrated her magic, and within a few seconds, golden light enveloped her body.  Soon after, she flashed out of sight, leaving the mages alone in a crowd outside the buliding.

* * *

When she landed in the Celestial Spirit World, she felt relieved.  Everything looked the same as it had been before.  She caught sight of a number of spirits rushing towards her, with Loke and Virgo taking the lead.  She laughed and had a happy reunion with her many friends, and spent a few minutes catching up.  They all stopped, however, when the Celestial Spirit King appeared before Lucy.

"How are you, old friend?"  Lucy smiled.

"I'm fine, thanks.  I have a report to give, actually.  A lot happened on Earthland."  The king nodded.

"Come, tell me everything."

"Oh, but first, where are the others?"  She noticed that some people were missing from the group reunion, and she wondered where everyone was.

"They're out on business.  You'll meet them all soon enough."

"Oh, okay."  She sighed.  _Guess I'll have to meet him later._ She shook her head from its thoughts, and looked up again at the Celestial Spirit King.

"Anyways, let's talk about my report of Earthland."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. A lot happened this chapter. This is where the story really starts to diverge from canon. So.. yeah. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Also, important note: I thought it over a bit, and I've decided to make a pretty big change that isn't explicitly mentioned in the chapter. In this universe, there is no time difference between Earthland and the Celestial Spirit World. It just works out better for explaining Lucy's past. And since there's a possibility a good portion of the story will take place in the CSW, things would get too confusing if we also had to keep track of the time difference. So for the sake of simplicity, I've decided to make time flow the same way in both dimensions. Hope you understand!


	6. Chapter 6

Natsu sighed as he put his head down on the table.  The guild felt strangely empty without Lucy and Happy around.  He kept his head down as Gray walked up and tapped Natsu on the shoulder.

"Oi, whatcha up to?"

"Nothing much.."  Gray scoffed.

"You seriously need to stop moping around.  They've only been gone for two days.  Who knows how long they'll take?  You need to get over them.  Let's go on a job.  I'm gonna go find Erza and Wendy."  Natsu sighed as he tilted his head up a bit, so that his chin was resting on his forearms.  It was true that Natsu couldn't afford to just sit at the guild until they got back.  Lucy had warned them beforehand that she had no idea how long it would take to get back from the Celestial Spirit World, and Happy's trip could take a while as well.

Natsu needed to sustain himself with jobs until then.  He knew he should be going out, but, without Lucy and Happy, going on jobs suddenly seemed so much less appealing.  The guild just seemed more boring without them.  His reason for missing Happy was obvious, them being partners for so long.  When it came to Lucy, however, Natsu couldn't quite explain.  The blonde had only been with them for about a month, but she got along with the team so easily.  Even without her magic, it was as if she was _meant_ to be with them.  Whether they were on jobs or not, Lucy was always fun to have around.

He sighed again and closed his eyes, remembering a specific mission that the team had gone on.  It was last week, and they were all going to a wizard's ball to protect a specific ring from a thief.  The count wanted to use the ring to get a suitable husband for his daughter, but the thief ended up marrying the girl.  A strangely happy ending, but what stood out the most about the job for Natsu was how Lucy and Erza got overly excited about going to a ball.  Lucy even made Natsu learn a dance in preparation.

 

* * *

 

"What!?  You want us to learn how to dance?"  Lucy nodded enthusiastically as she led Natsu outside the guild.

"Come on, Natsu.  You _have_ to know how to dance, or you'll stick out like a sore thumb!  Come on, it's not that hard."  She took his hands, and began to lead them in a simple dance.  He stepped on her foot a couple times, but other than that, he picked the dance up pretty quickly.  Erza gave Gray a dance lesson of her own, and Wendy almost wanted to cast Troia on the poor man.  Erza was a commanding demon when it came to dance, and she had a knack for making her dance partners pass out from her crazy spins.

At the actual ball, after the whole mess with the thief was sorted out, Natsu walked over to the refreshments table to stuff himself with food.  Within a few minutes, however, Lucy came up and grabbed his arm.

"You can't possibly expect to just eat all night.  Let's dance!"  Before he could object, she was already dragging him towards a floating platform.  They got on, and she led him in the very dance she taught him earlier.  They remained silent as they followed the music.  Natsu, while awkwardly trying to keep balance, noticed that Lucy had closed her eyes and was taken away with the dance.  She smiled as she gently moved back and forth with him, not a care in the world.

"Uh, Lucy?"  Lucy opened her eyes in a questioning look.

"Yeah?"

"T-Troia wore off.."  She noticed that the dragon slayer was turning green with motion sickness.

"What!?  How do you get down from here!?  Help!"  After a few minutes of panic, Lucy and Natsu were finally lowered from the platform.  She led him outside, to the balcony of the mansion, to get some fresh air.  He leaned over the railing, heaving for a little while, while she sympathetically rubbed circles on his back.  When he managed to recover a bit, they stayed outside, taking in the fresh air and the night sky.  Lucy particularly enjoyed looking at the stars.  Natsu spoke up while she was counting the constellations.

"You really like stargazing, don'tcha?"  She nodded.

"One of the few things I remember is how to identify most of the constellations.  Look."  She pointed up at a few bunches of stars.  "There's Leo, the Lion.  There's the goat, Capricorn.  Scorpio's over there."  Natsu struggled to make the shapes out, but he failed.

"There are way too many stars to make anything out!"  Lucy giggled.

"I guess they can be a bit hard to spot."  She leaned forward against the balcony's railing.

"For some reason, I feel safe when I see the stars.  I guess it's because they're the one thing I seem to remember so well."  Natsu silently nodded.  It really must have sucked to not remember anything.  He couldn't imagine what it would be like to forget all of his friends at Fairy Tail; they were just too precious.

Lucy took another deep breath and looked up, a serene smile on her face.  "Aren't they just beautiful?"  Her hair and dress swayed in the breeze.  Natsu really wasn't crazy about the stars as she was, but he couldn't ruin the mood.

"Yep, beautiful for sure."

 

* * *

 

Natsu stretched and got up from the table he was sitting at.  He'd accidentally fallen asleep while thinking about that night at the ball.  _Meh, guess I'd better do some jobs._   He called out for Erza, Wendy, and Gray as he ran towards the request board.

 

* * *

 

Lucy sighed as she fell back towards the ground.  She was exhausted from a day's worth of traveling.  During her conversation with the Celestial Spirit King, they decided that she should track the magic levels of the Celestial Spirit World for a while, and try to locate the worst areas of decline.  She spent her first day resting and catching up with her spirit friends, and the second day had been all travel.  She was alone on this trip, and she couldn't summon anyone.  Her powers weren't quite designed to summon spirits in the same dimension.

She shuddered a bit when a chill wind blew by.  She forgot to prepare enough appropriate travel clothing, and regretted it.  It occurred to her that she never really had to worry about being cold while in Earthland.  It was because she had a certain fire dragon slayer handy to provide all the heat she needed.  He was always more than happy to warm the air up a bit, like that time a couple weeks ago when the team was lost and separated in the woods.

* * *

 

They went on a job to find a patch of rare herbs.  They split up to make things easier, but a sudden storm brewed up, and everyone got lost.  A simple enough job turned into a big disaster.  Happy and Carla were unable to fly in the storm, and decided to stay with Wendy, Gray, and Erza.  Natsu and Lucy were on their own, so they ran for shelter.  Luckily, they were close to a cliff formation, and found a small cave to wait in.  They sat, soaked, not saying much.  Lucy shuddered a bit.

"It's so cold.."

"Is it?  Here."  Lucy yelped when she was suddenly pulled in front of him.  He wrapped his arms around her from behind, and he pulled her in so that she was leaning against his chest.

"N-Natsu!  What are you doing!?"

"What?  It's warmer this way, isn't it?  There isn't anything to start a fire with, so this is the easiest way to warm you up."  Lucy's cheeks flushed at the position they were in, and she was really glad Natsu couldn't see her face from behind.  Still, she had to admit that his body was really warm.

"I-I guess.  Thanks.."  Natsu only gave a toothy grin before looking towards the cave's opening.

"It's really coming down hard out there.  We might have to spend the night here."

"Yeah.."

"I'm sure everyone's fine.  They probably found shelter too.  We can find them when the storm stops."  Lucy nodded while holding back a yawn.  The warmth was getting her a bit drowsy.

"Say, Natsu.  How'd you find Fairy Tail?"

"Gramps found me.  I was traveling alone ever since my dad left me."

"Your dad left you?"

"Pretty much.  He just.. disappeared one day, without a trace."

"That sounds awful!"

"He probably had a good reason for it.  Whatever it was, I still think Igneel was the best.  Definitely the nicest, smartest, and strongest dragon out there!" 

"A dragon!?"  Natsu laughed.

"Yeah, he was a fire dragon.  I guess I never mentioned it to you.  Wendy and Gajeel had dragons for foster parents too.  As for our real parents, I don't think any of us remember them.  The dragons were all we had." Lucy stayed silent for a bit.

"Natsu," she said.

"Yeah?"

"Could you... tell me more?  About your past?  I'm a bit curious."  He smiled and obliged.  He told her about what he did while he was with Igneel.  He told her stories of his childhood with his friends at Fairy Tail.  Lucy contentedly listened and giggled every now and then when he talked about beating some rival (mostly Gray).

He soon noticed that Lucy had stopped responding, and was steadily breathing.  She had fallen asleep at some point, unable to fight against the comfort provided by the dragon slayer.  He gently smiled before shifting ever so slightly to get himself more comfortable.  He leaned back, and soon followed Lucy to the realm of sleep.

 

* * *

 

Another cold breeze blew by, and Lucy curled up into a ball.  She really missed Natsu's natural heat at that moment.  She shook her head, however, concluding that it was too weird to want another person's warmth like that.  She sighed, and settled against a small formation to get some sleep.  _I really miss everyone at the guild... And I really miss him. It's been a while since I've seen him.. I wonder what he's up to?_ Before Lucy could speculate, however, she had drifted off and away from consciousness.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This chapter's a bit weird, so I'll summarize it to make sure you followed. Natsu and Lucy are in Earthland and the CSW, respectively. They just have flashbacks to a couple missions they had in the past. I know this chapter's a bit dull, with like no plot progression, but I kind of needed a fluffy filler to show their beautifully blossoming.. friendship (I'll say no more about it lol). But what do you guys think? More fluff? Less?
> 
> And I'll add a little fun anecdote about this story. When I was planning out Lucy's past, I almost considered making her the Celestial Spirit Slayer because of how similar her past was to the dragon slayers! But, after some more consideration, I decided to make things turn out this way. I know there's a story about her being the Celestial Dragon Slayer out there, so the idea wouldn't be as original.
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading, and hope you look forward to next week's chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

"Gray, watch out!"  Erza shouted as she cut a wolf down.  Gray grunted as he dodged a wolf that jumped at him from behind.

" _Ice Make: Lance!_ "  He took down another group of wolves before running to Erza and pressing his back to her.  They were both getting worn out, and needed a minute to catch their breaths.

"Damn it, why are there so many!?"  Gray growled under his breath as he took up a fighting stance.

"We've certainly never encountered this many at once before."  Erza glanced around at the wolf-like creatures.  They had first started appearing about a week ago, in small packs around the forest near Magnolia.  Traveling merchants sent in job requests to get rid of them because they were attacking caravans.  Team Natsu took on several of these jobs, finding small groups of these wolves dotted here and there.  This time, however, they found a massive pack on the shores of a nearby lake.

These were not normal wolves.  Erza really couldn't find words to describe them well.  They were gray in color, but there was also an iridescent shimmer to their coats.  They were all a bit transparent as well.  _Certainly not of this world.  And they vaguely match what Lucy encountered back when she was attacked._   Erza huffed before lunging at a nearby wolf.

"Don't stray too far, Gray!  Natsu, Wendy!  Are you okay over there?"  The dragon slayers were farther down the shoreline, fighting on their own.

"We're fine!  _Vernier, Arms!"_

 _"Fire Dragon's Roar!"_   Erza nodded, taking the chaos Natsu was creating as a sign that things were indeed fine.

" _Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor!"_   She began gliding through the wolves, partaking in a deadly dance of swords as she did so.

Countless creatures fell, but countless more still remained.  They were wearing out.  They've been fighting for some time now, and the hundreds of wolves didn't seem to be thinning out.  They were starting to get surrounded, with only the lake to their backs.

Panting, Gray spoke up.  "What's the plan?"

"We need to break through them somehow."

"But we're all running out of magic power.."

" _Celestial Decree: Nullify."_ A familiar blonde jumped in between the group and the wolves, and spread her magic around everything in the area.  The lake itself turned golden as her power flooded it.

"Now!  Loke!  Aquarius!"  Loke and a blue mermaid emerged from the water.  Together, they made quick work of the remaining wolves.

When Lucy was done, she addressed the team while still facing the lake.  "I didn't know the Specter situation was this bad here.  I would've been back sooner if I had known.  Sorry, guys."  Not hearing any response, she turned to see four stunned faces.  She suddenly got uncomfortable and shifted nervously.

"LUCY!!!"  Natsu tackled her, and sent them both flying to the dirt.  "You're back!  That's great!  It's been three months!"  She would have laughed, but she was suffocating under his weight.

"N-Natsu.. can't breathe.."

"Yeah, get off of her."  Gray shoved Natsu to the side and helped Lucy up.  "So what's up?  If you're back, that means you finished your work in that other world?"  She nodded.

"Yup.  I did some information gathering, and made some progress.  These things you just fought are called Specters.  They're made from a corrupted form of Celestial Magic.  There are some gates around Earthland that are bringing in Celestial Magic and forming these Specters.  I need to find these gates and shut them down to prevent any more Specters from showing up."  Natsu blinked.

"What?"  Lucy sighed.  She should have expected that he wouldn't understand.

"Bottom line is, these things are called Specters, they spawn in huge groups, and we need to find them."  Natsu grinned.

"Got it!"

"But first, why don't we go back to the guild to celebrate your return?"  Erza walked up and put a hand on Lucy's shoulder.  The blonde smiled, and nodded.

"Sure!"  With that, the group headed back to the guild.

As Lucy expected, they threw a huge party to celebrate her return.  The guild would take any reason to start drinking and partying.  She sat at the bar, a nostalgic smile on her face as she took in the scene around her.  This was the family she had missed for three months.  _On the topic of family_ , she thought, _I still haven't seen him yet_..  She shook her head of its thoughts as Mirajane passed her a drink with a smile on her face.

"Welcome back!  An extra special drink, on the house!"  Lucy beamed.

"Thanks!"

She spent most of the night talking and catching up with the guild members, and generally enjoyed herself.  Later that night however, when the party had died down and most of the members had gone home, Makarov walked up to her.

"Welcome back, Lucy."

"Thanks, Master."  He gave a small sigh.  Lucy suddenly noticed that he seemed to have aged noticeably since she last saw him, if that was even possible for someone already so old.

"Are you alright, Master?"

"I'm fine.  It's just.. these creatures-I believe you call them Specters-are becoming quite troublesome.  The Magic Council is offering little support, because they seem to only be affecting Magnolia and a few surrounding regions.  I've had to go through a lot to prevent them from spreading further."  Lucy gave a thoughtful nod.

"They can continue to form indefinitely as long as the corrupted gates are active.  You see, magic gets here from the Celestial Spirit World through gates, much like how spirits travel.  The gates here have been forced open, and their corrupt nature keeps them open.  I have to find them all and close them to prevent more Specters from spawning.  Normally, any Celestial Spirit Mage would be able to forcibly shut down the gates, but because of the fact that they're all corrupted, I have to completely shut them down.  Fortunately, according to your report, they seem to only be around Magnolia and its surrounding regions.  I should be able to go around and close them all in no time."  Makarov nodded in agreement to her plan.

"Take Natsu and the others with you.  You will be on an extended mission to find and close all of the corrupted gates.  I'll send contacts out to find and relay the location of the gates to you.  We have Warren here for telepathic communication, so we should be able to efficiently take care of the abnormalities.  Can you leave tomorrow?"  Lucy nodded.

"Good.  Rest for tonight.  I'm sure you've been working nonstop recently."

"Good night then."  She excused herself and proceeded to find everyone else to explain the mission.  After telling Natsu, Gray, Wendy, and Erza, she walked back to the dorms with the girls.

When she got to her room, she was pleased to find it untouched and clean since she left.

"I cleaned it once a week to prevent dust from collecting on your things," Erza explained.  Lucy thanked her as she got ready for bed, but the redhead waved it off, saying that it was no big deal.

"Anyways, we should get up early tomorrow to get everyone ready for the trip."  Lucy nodded.

"Good night, then."

"Good night."  Lucy was blessed with sweet dreams that night.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Lucy and Erza got ready and packed their things.  Erza had her usual cart of goods ready outside, and the two headed out after breakfast.  At the guild, Natsu, Gray, and Wendy were packed and ready to go as well.  They were about to head out when Lucy remembered that a couple team members were missing.

"Where are Happy and Carla?  I don't think I saw them last night, either."

"They're still with Lily and the other Exceeds.  They left a message saying that they want to travel a while longer, so they're taking an extended leave of absence from the guild."  Natsu pouted a bit at the fact that his partner was gone for so long, but he really couldn't complain as long as Happy was, well, happy.

"Oh, well let's go then.  I think there's a gate in the valley nearby."

They walked and talked, catching up some more on the last few months.  After a few hours, they stopped to have a picnic lunch.  A couple hours after their meal, they finally reached their destination.  As Lucy expected, Specters were present, in the form of crows instead of wolves.  They were flying overhead, and were ready to attack the group of mages that had intruded on their territory.

They noticed that some other people were farther down the valley, probably sent by Makarov.  Getting closer, Natsu realized that Laxus and his Thunder God Tribe were fighting the Specters.

"Yo, Laxus!"  The blond dragon slayer turned to the group.

"Oh, you guys made it.  We've contained these things for a while, but it'd be nice if you could do your thing already."  Lucy nodded and started channeling her magic.

"I'll need a couple minutes to find the exact location of the gate and stop it.  Cover for me until then."  Everyone nodded and surrounded her.  Erza changed into her Heaven's Wheel Armor to be able to fight in the air.  Laxus, Wendy, and Natsu mostly relied on their roar attacks to take the birds down, and Gray stood close to Lucy, taking down any that got too close.  Lucy concentrated for another minute, trying to sense out the gate's presence.

"Found it!  _Celestial Decree:  Nullify!_ "  She forced the gate to shut down, and sighed in relief when no more Specters were spawning.  Everyone regrouped around her and commended her for being able to shut it down.

"There are still a few more to go."  Erza nodded.

"I just got a message from Warren.  There's another one towards the mountains up ahead.  Gajeel and Juvia should be there, containing the Specters.  Master also sent Cana and Team Shadowgear to a village near Magnolia to look into reports of possibly Specter appearances."  Laxus stretched and gave a yawn.

"Well, our job's done here.  I'm tired from getting up early, so I'm going back.  Good luck."  Lucy nodded, and they parted ways.

The sun was beginning to set by the time they found Juvia and Gajeel.  Well, actually, it was Juvia who found them first.

They were following the road when they heard a voice calling out from somewhere.

"Gray-sama, is that you~!?"  Gray palmed his face, already tensing up at the voice.  Erza smiled and shrugged.

"I guess we're here."  It took another few minutes, but with Natsu and Wendy's exceptional senses, they tracked Juvia's voice relatively quickly.  The Phantom pair was resting in a small campsite nearby.  Gajeel huffed and got up when he saw the group.

"Yo.  They're nearby.  A whole bunch of bears.  Angry bears, at that."

"Bears, this time, huh?  Well, take me to them.  I'll shut down the gate."  Gajeel took the lead, since Juvia was already latched onto Gray.  They found the Specters patrolling their territory.  Lucy prepped her magic and stood behind everyone else.

"Okay guys, same thing as last time."  They all nodded and started fighting the bear creatures.  Gray didn't stay as close to her this time, though.  He felt a bit more confident, and started to go off on his own to fight.

That turned out to be a bad move.

A Specter managed to slip by the mages, and charged at Lucy with its fangs bared.  Lucy couldn't react in time, as she was too concentrated on her magic.  Gray cursed as he tried to turn and intercept the bear.

"Shit, Lucy!"  She opened her eyes in horror as she stared at the shadowy bear lunge at her.

" _Regulus Slash._ "  A flash of pale light blinded everyone as the turned towards where Lucy was, and they all averted their eyes.

" _Celestial Command: Disappear."_ When the light faded, the Specters were all gone, leaving a cloud of sparkles in the air around them.  Natsu looked up to see someone standing before Lucy, a slight smirk on his face.  Something about him smelled familiar.

Lucy opened her eyes, and after a couple seconds, managed to process that someone was standing in front of her.

Her eyes widened when she realized who it was.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eep! Sorry for being a day late! I've been busy for the last few nights, so I couldn't really find the time to write or edit anything.. But I hope you enjoy! I also apologize for the long-winded explanations, but I suppose it's an inevitable side-effect of having original story content. See you again Saturday!


End file.
